Gentry: I had no desire to leave

by Seth Pollack on May 9, 2009 5:00 PM MST in Phoenix Suns News

The deal that had to be done. Is done.

The Suns players left virtually no wiggle room at the end of the season with all the team's stars calling for the return of Alvin Gentry. GM Steve Kerr never expressed any doubts either as he surely learned his lesson about who's team this really is.

The biggest test for Gentry will be his ability to maximize the potential of Amare Stoudemire. Amare had this to say about Gentry at the end of the season.

"...Alvin, a guy who is definitely a players coach. A guy you can talk to..That's the type of conversation you want to have with your coach. Alvin's that guy.

You want a coach that you can really hug and hold and high five and really have fun with. That makes it fun play. You can high five and hug your team mates. You don't want to have fear of your coach. You want to be respectable with him but you also want to be a friend with him."

Coach Gentry is definitely a personable and likable guy but he's also got an old school streak in him. I look forward to seeing if he can use this balance to motivate Amare with hugs and high fives but also get on his ass when it's deserved.

How Amare performs for his fourth coach in his seven year career will be the key not only to the Suns season but perhaps the next 4 to 6 years for the franchise.

The agreement was reached Saturday morning is a two-year contract with an option for a third based on team performance. The contract is rumored to be for 3.7 million and should be signed early next week.

According to Sports 620 KTAR, Genty---who participated in a Special Olympics Arizona basketball clinic at US Airways Center Saturday---said he was excited the deal got done and had "no desire to leave".

"I didn't know if I would ever have another opportunity," said Gentry who expects to retain his entire coaching staff. Gentry also said he will represent the Suns at the NBA Draft Lottery on May 19th.

Poll

Do you agree with the Suns decision to make Alvin Gentry the head coach?

Yes. This was clearly the best option

201 votes

No. The Suns should have looked elsewhere

10 votes

Meh. It was the path of least resistance

46 votes

257 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I'm sure Gentry is a nice guy, and he seems like a competent coach,

but I don’t know if he’s the answer for this team. Wasn’t D’Antoni a “player’s coach” too? Look how that turned out, a bunch of spoiled, coddled athletes. Gentry does have positives(using his bench, etc.), but I just don’t see them improving because it doesn’t seem like they want to. Wait until Gentry raises his voice even a fraction at Amare when he screws up on D or forgets to box out, he’ll revert to his inner 12 year old. Wait until he asks Nash to try and do anything that’s not “fun”. I don’t have high hopes for the forseeable future.

Aprende epsañol y esto tendra mas sentido para ti.

by Diosnomeama on May 9, 2009 5:20 PM MST reply actions

Amar'e did a bit of complaining about D'Antoni

Saying that he was sort of distant and didn’t really talk with everybody.

by hcblankscreen on May 9, 2009 8:04 PM MST up reply actions

That's the problem.

Amare wants someone who will sit there and tell him how great he is, and never ever hold him accountable for anything he screws up.

Aprende epsañol y esto tendra mas sentido para ti.

by Diosnomeama on May 9, 2009 8:15 PM MST up reply actions

It seems like you have two kinds of successful coaches in this league: the ones who are hard-asses and can motivate a team to a championship, but burn out the players and make enemies in two to three years; or the kind that the players love to play for, but since they don’t really hold them entirely accountable, they just maintain sustained, but limited success.

by jburning on May 9, 2009 6:02 PM MST reply actions

Or you have the 3rd kind of coach

like Phil Jackson, & Red Auerbach, who treat their players like human beings, cut them slack when they need to, but still hold their players to account.

Phil won 6 championships with Jordan & Pippen, and 3 with Rodman, Shaq & Kobe.
Red won 9 championships with Bill Russell, and 5 with Cousy.

All of those guys were major personalities/headcases.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on May 9, 2009 7:34 PM MST up reply actions

Talking of which..

Two things. Here is a great piece by Mike Wilbon on Chuck Daly, another of this 3rd level of coach.

next.. Bill Russell has a new book out, about him and Red Auerbach. I bought it, and read it. It’s really good, and talks in detail about Red as a coach.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on May 11, 2009 3:02 PM MST up reply actions

A few thoughts

1) Amar’e’s comments about what in his mind is a good coach really reads “I want to stay in my pampered, comfort zone and only do easy things” to me. I hope I’m just biased.

2) Gentry is better than D’Antoni in the sense that he connects the players and the front office better. He’s more humble and seems to be more willing to adjust.

3) Is 3.7M for 2 years real cheap? What is VDN getting in Chicago?

With the 14th pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Pheonix Suns select... 3 million dollars!

by gadogry on May 9, 2009 8:45 PM MST reply actions

I'm kind of excited...kind of.

I agree that he deserved an opportunity to coach the team (healthy) a whole season. I like what I saw from him the second half of the season.

I’m happy for you, coach. Let’s get the job done.

"Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it"

by PanamaSun on May 10, 2009 1:25 AM MST reply actions

I'm stoked

I’m glad they took care of this and now we can focus on more important things, like trading the old men away for competent youth. I really like Gentry. He can talk in coherent sentences—and he trusts the bench.

Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.

by SunDolphin on May 10, 2009 5:35 AM MST reply actions